In the News

CUNY SPS alum Dani Lucchese (MA Disability Studies '16) is being recognized with the Wagner Alumni Key award, according to the Wagner College Newsroom. The publication announced its list of the 2025 Wagner College Alumni Association award recipients earlier this month. The article provides a profile of Lucchese that details some of the many accomplishments and leadership roles they have achieved.

Dr. Diane Merians Penaloza, a doctoral lecturer for the online Business programs at CUNY SPS, was accepted into CUNY’s Career Success Fellows program, which supports faculty in connecting classroom learning with real-world applications. Dr. Penaloza's focus will be on integrating experiential learning into signature assignments, giving students opportunities to apply knowledge beyond theory and build meaningful, career-relevant skills. Through this initiative, Dr. Penaloza will strengthen pathways to help students prepare for both professional and academic futures.

Professor Curtis Izen, who teaches in the CUNY SPS Online Business Program and the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College, is the recipient of the 2025 Presidential Excellence Award (Adjunct) for Distinguished Teaching at Baruch College for his outstanding achievements in instruction, accessible, and inclusive pedagogy.

CUNY SPS alum Lennyn Jacob recounts her academic journey through the CUNY system. The CUNY blog article "How CUNY Online Empowered This Working Mom to Break the Burnout Cycle and Finish Her Degree" highlights Jacob's leadership roles and some of her many successes achieved during her tenure at CUNY SPS.

CUNY SPS nursing professor, Dr. Olga Kagan, recently co-authored a study that was published in the "Nursing Management" journal. In the article "Nurses' Shared Experience in the Embodiment of Innovation," Dr. Kagan's research team explored how nurses engage with innovation through collaborative hackathon experiences. The article also highlights the natural problem-solving skills of nurses, while illuminating how nurse-led innovation globally impacts healthcare.